Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Construction of a new 2-lane extra-dosed cable stayed bridge over the Brahmaputra on NH-17 at Jogighopa in lower Assam is facing persistent delays.
The delay in completion of the project has been attributed to the slow execution of work by the construction firm.
According to sources, Satpal Singla (SPS) Construction India Pvt Ltd - which was awarded contract to construct the bridge by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) - has missed several deadlines vis-à-vis the scheduled date for completion of work.
After the company was awarded the contract August 10, 2021, the scheduled date for completion of the project was fixed as November 10, 2024.
However, following repeated failure by the company in meeting the deadline, the NHIDCL has been forced to issue multiple cure notices to the construction firm. As per the latest revision of the scheduled completion date, the deadline is December 31, 2026.
But considering the fact that current physical status of the project is 86%, sources said the deadline is unlikely to be met.
Hence, since the deadline is likely to be missed again, NHIDCL has been compelled to revise the scheduled completion date again - the new date is March 31, 2027.
Now, it remains to be seen even this deadline will be met.
Being executed at a total project cost of Rs 746.76 crore, the new bridge is being constructed parallel to the existing Naranarayan Setu near Goalpara.
Part of the ongoing Guwahati-Jogighopa 4-laning project of the highway, the total length of the new bridge project, including approach roads and the bridge, is 4.385 km.
The new bridge is expected to provide seamless connectivity in the lower Assam region and Meghalaya.
SPS Construction India Pvt Ltd also constructed Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, the new six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Guwahati with North Guwahati, which too faced multiple delays before being finally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February this year.
Though inaugurated, even now, the Rs 3,000-crore bridge is still not fully complete on the northern end.
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